Mining machine



July 12, 1932. A. B. EssELTlNE MINING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 16, 1950 Attorney July12,1932. A, E, ESSEWNE y 1,867,528V

MINING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1950 5 Sheets-Shet 2 LII- d) J /f-LUJ' ma@ @fea-2c July 12, 1932. A. s.' EssELTlNE 1,867,528

MINING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 y V n i Q 5 Q 1 W M fr lI Patented Jiily 12, l1932 i serres, starts ,narrar ortica ALFRED B. EssELTINE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,- AssieNon rro GOODMAN ivrieivUFac'rI-IR` ING COMPANY, or CHICAGO; ILLINoIs, Av CORPORATION or ILLINoIs MINING MACHINE' l Application led AprililG,

rfhis invention relates to improvements in mining machines and more in particular to machines of the type adapted to remove the material `cut away from the face of the coal and load it into a suitable receptacle or material Ytransporting device,V and has among other objects to provide such a machine especially adapted for usev in driving entries having a new and improved form ofconveyor thereon ywhich may be fed into the leif with the cutter bar and is yof substantially the same vertical dimensions as the cutter bar and which may supportand convey the mined material beyond the mining machine proper.

Otherobjects of my invention will appear from time to timeas thisspeciiication proceeds.

My invention may be more clearly under-V drawings wherein: i c c Figure 1 is a topplan view ofthe device embodying my inventionwith parts broken away and in section; l

Figure 2 is a side elevationof the device shownin Figure 1 with parts broken away stood with reference toV the'accoiripanyiiig and in section; i Figure 3 is anenlarged partial sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged partial fragmentary front end view of the deviceembodying my invention with parts broken away and in section;

Figure 5 is anenlarged detail view of the rearward portion of the conveyor with parts broken away and in section; Y c

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail View of the conveyor, looking forwardly of the machine;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the machine after Vthecutter bar has com` pleted the cutting of a lIerf in the mine wall; and n Figure 8 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the machine showing the cut material shot down and supported on the cutter bar and conveyor.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the device embodying my invention comprises a stationary frame 10 having a movable frame 11 supported thereon for longitudinal i930. serial No. 444,679'.

movement with respect thereto which movable frame has a relatively wide horizonal cutter bar 12 projecting forwardly therefrom having a cutter chain 13 movable thereabout. The stationary frame 10 comprises a pair of parallel spaced longitudinally extending guide members 14, 14 supported at' their rearparallel therewith on a supporting machine and serves l Y A rack18 ofaiiYordinaryk'construction is xed on the 'outer sidegof each guide member 14 land each rack 18,Y is engaged by a sprocket 19 on the opposite endsiofa transverse shaft 20 journaled on the movable frame 11` forV tionary .frame 10 upon rotation of said sprocketsyan'd shaft.l

' moving said ",movablez frame along'. the staf Y lThe movable frame 11 is slidably supported f on the top portion of the parallelspaced guide members 111,` 14. andV depends there# from so'the cutter bar 12 may cut a kerf adjacent the mine bottom, and supports the feeding and i drive chain 13. Y Y

'The cutter chain 13 lis driven about the cutter bar 12 by means of a suitable power mechanism for the cutter saV deviceherein preferably shown as an electric motor 22., through a suitablegear train which comprises a motor pinion 23, idler gear 24, spur gear 25 on the rear end of a'long'itudinal vshaft 26, bevel pinion 27 on thev forward end Iof. said` shaft, bevel gear 28 freely mounted on a vertical shaftv 29-and` sprocket Y A80 on the lowerend of said vertical'shaft operatively connected with saidbevelfgear by means of a jaw clutch 13,1 in a usual manner. j j .Y l .j-

' Referring now in Yparticular to Vthe'means for driving thesprockets 19 from the motor 22, a worm 34 iscut integral with the `longitudinal shaft 26 and drives a worm gear 35 keyed on a sleeve 36 freely mounted on the transverse shaft 20. The sleeve 36 drives a frictionally controlled plural speed planetary gear reduction device 87 of an ordinary construction which will only be described in so far as is necessary to fully disclose my present invention.

The planetary reduction device 37 comprises an internal gear 38 controlled by a friction band 39 hav-ing bearing engagement with a drum 40 integral with the outer pe-Y riphery of said internal gear and driven from the sleeve 36 by means of a sun gear 41 integral with the sleeve 36 and planetary lpinions 42 carried in a cage 43. Planetary pinions 44 are integral with and adjacent the planetary pinions 42 and mesh with and drive an internal gear 45; Clutch jaws 46 areI provided on the internal gear 45 while clutch jaws .47 are provided on the cage 43.

A clutch sleeve 48 is feathered on the shaft 20 and'has clutch jaws 49 thereon vso said clutch jaws may mesh with either theclutch jaws 46 or 47 to drive the transverse shaft 2O at either' a high or low frictionally controlled speed. The clutch sleeve 48 is' moved along the transverse shaft 2O by means of a suitable system of levers of an ordinary construction not herein shown. Y

It may now be seen that the shaft 2O and sprockets 19 may be driven at a plurality kof frictionally controlled speeds by means of the planetary lreduction device 37 which is controlled bythe friction-band 39, and that when said shaftris rotated in one direction7 the cutter bar 12 maybe moved into the coal, and that when the motor 22 is reversed and the shaft 20 is rotated in an opposite direc- 1tion the -cutter bar may be withdrawn from 1 the,u coal. Thus a .frictionally controlled plural speed means is providedfor moving the cutter bar 12 in, or'withdrawing'said cutter bar from the coal, which friction means is arranged to slip in case obstructions or hard spots are met with in the coal while the machine Vis cutting. AReferring now in particular to several other ofthe novel features of my linvention, a conveyor 50 is provided which conveyor is mounted within thecutter bar 12 and with its forward portion `contained. with:- in the vertical limits ofy said cutter bar.v The conveyor 50 is preferably made up of a plurality of sections, herein shown as three'sections placed side by side within the cutter bar 12, each section of which comprises a continuous wire mesh belt 52 passing over a direction changing device 53 of relatively small diameter fixed in the forp ward portion of the cutter bar 12 and a conveyor frame 54.

t should be noted that the conveyor belts are made from-wire mesh instead of rubber or composition Vbelting orV other'imaterials from which conveyor belts are usually made and that a plurality of relatively narrow belts are used instead of one wide belt to provide a conveyor which will withstand the heavy stresses imposed thereon when an entire coal wall is shot down on the mining machine and conveyor. These mesh conveyor belts are made from interwoven wires in a manner similar to which ordinary heavy duty woven wire fencing isV made; that is, strands comprising a single wire extending transversely of the conveyor are each formed with open loops interwoven alternately with similar loops on the advance and following strand. These-strands have rolling contact withV said loops permitting` maximum iieXibility of the conveyor along transverse lines. This provides a conveyor belt which may be turned about a curve of a minimum radius and thus permits the construction of a thin durable conveyor capable of. withstanding great loads and stresses having a total thickness-of the top and bottom runs substantially equal to the thickness of the cutter bar.

- The conveyor-frame 54 includes a forward portion 54a contained within the cutter bar 12, an inclinedfportion 545 rearwardly of saidforward portion and a rear horizontal portion 540 which extends over the motor 22 and is supported thereon on suitable supports 51, 51. The rear horizontal portion 54e of the conveyor frame 54j extends beyond the stationary frame V10 a sufficient distance So the rearward end of the conveyor 50 extends beyond the rearwardend of the stationary frame .10; whenrthe cutter bar 12 is sumped into the'coal to its full depth.

The conveyor Yframe 54 is formed by guide strips 55 at each sideofthe conveyor 50 and on Vthe outer sides of the outer wire mesh belts 527 and spacing strips 56 which separate eachwire mesh belt 52 from the adjoining wiremesh belt. A supporting plate 5"( separates the top and bottom runs of each wire mesh belt 52 and serves as a support for the top run ofeach of said belts. Guide plates 58 are provided on the top andbottom portions of the guide strips 55 and spacing strips 56 so each continuous wire mesh belt 52 is guided between the supporting plates 57 and guide plates-.58 and guided on its sides by means of the guide` strips 55 and spacing strips 56.

A space 60 is left between the outer side of each guide strip 55 and the inner sides of tbc cutter bar 12 for a distance equal to the length ofjthe section 540J which space forms guides for the supporting shoe 16. See Figure 4 in which it may be noted that theshoe 16 eX- tends for the Ventire width of the machine and is guided in the spaces 60 between. the i inner sides of the'cutter bar 12 and the guido strips'55.V .This guide space forms a slidable supporting guide for the shoe 16 so the cutter bar 12 may be moved forwardly into the coal slidably supported on said shoe.

Each wire mesh belt 52 of the conveyor 50 is simultaneously driven from the motorl 22 by means of a spur pinion 63 keyed on the sleeve 86 which spur pinion meshes with and drives a spur gear 64. The spur gear 64' has driving connection with a shaft 65 journaled in the conveyor frame 54- iiear the reaiward end thereof by means of a suitable chain and sprocket drive generally indicated at 67.

Rollers 68, 68 are fixed on the shaft 65' and have studs 69V piojectingoutwardly there-.

from which studs enga e the continuous wire mesh Ybelts 52 and drive said wire mesh belts upon rotation of the shaft 65; p

It may thus be seen that a mining mach-ine has been provided having a conveyor incorporated therewith which conveyor lis made in sections to withstand heavy loads and which conveyoriis also constructed of a plurality of wire mesh belts soy as to be able to turn about a member of relatively small diameterwhich enables said conveyor tobecontained within the vertical dimensions of an ordinary mining machine cutter bar.;-

Figures 7 and 8 illustratethe `use andV op-` eration of the machine embodying my invention. l In Figure 'l'k the machinel has been set ,adjacent the mine wall Vand the jack 17 has been set against the mine roof. The cutter bar 12 and conveyor 50have been fed into the coal by means of the frictionally controlled sprockets 19 and the racks 18 and the coal is ready to be shotdown on the' machine and conveyor; f y n Figure 8 shows the coal shot` down and supported on the minino' machine and-conveyor 50. After the coal has been'shot down on the sectional wire mesh conveyor 50 the motor 22 is started and tlielmaterial-ismoved away from the coal face by said conveyor to a point beyond the rearmost extremities of the stationary frame into a suitablerreceptacle or conveying device. As herein shown a draft operated scraper 70 is provided to move the material away'- from the mining and loading machine intoa mine car or any other suitable conveying means for t ansporting the coal from the mine in a usl ual manner, although any other forin of ma- 1 terial handling means may be used to move the material from the conveyorO.

Since-the cutter bar 'l2 is relatively wide,

and may be made in widths approaching the width of a mine entry, it may be seen that :i the machine of my invention-is especially adapted for driving entries. vThe machine may be set in an entry and under cut the coal. 'Ihe coalmay then be shot down Aon the conveyor and loaded into a suitable'material transporting device. These operations may be continued until the entire entry isdriven,

thus providing a continuous system for cutting and loading in amineeiitry.

While I have shown and described one form in whichmy invention may be embodied, it *will` be understood .that the arrangement or construction of the various parts may be altered or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting myself to the specific embodiinentillustrated, except as it may be lim ited inthe appended claims' I claim as my invention:

l. In a mining and loading machine, a stationary frame, a movable frame supported on said stationary frame,forlongitudinal movement with respect thereto, a relatively Wide cutter bar supported on said movable frame and having-a cutter chain movable horizontally thereabout, a direction changing device supported within said cutter bar of less diameter than the thickness of said cutter bar, and a-continuous longitudinally extending wire mesh conveyor having a poi'- ed on said stationary frame-for longitudinal Y movement with respect thereto, a motor on. said movable frame, a relatively widejh ori-` Y Zontal fcutten bar supported f thereon for.

movement therewith having a cutter i chain movable thereabout, a direction changing device supported within said cutter bar-of less diameterthan thethiclrness of 'said cutter bar, and a continuous' longitudinally Vextending wire mesh conveyor land extending around said` direction changing device 'contained within the vertical and lateral limits'of said cutter bar for a portion of its length andextending over said motor andbeyond the rearward extremities ofsaid stationary frame when said cutter bar is in an extended posi,- tion-.with respect to said stationary frame. 3.*In a lmining and loading machine` a stationary frame, a movable frame supported on said stationary-framefor longitudinal movement with resp-ect thereto, a motor on said movable frame, a vrelatively wide horizontal cutter bar supported Vthereon for movement therewith having al cutter chain movable thereabout, a direction c'hangingdevice supported within said cutter bar of lessl diameter than the thickness of said cutterl bar, and -aplurality of longitudinally extending continuous wire mesh conveyors arranged side by side and 'contained within 'the verticaland lateral limitsof said'cutter bar for aiportion,` of its length and extending around saidrdirection changing device and extending over andfbeyond the rearwardmost extremities of said `stationary frame when said cutter bar'is in an extended position with respeetito said stationary frame.

4. In a mining and loading machine, a stationary frame, a movable frame slidably supported on said stationary frame for reciproca/.ble movement therealong, a motor supported on said movable frame, plural speed means driven by said motor for reciprocably moving said movable frame along said stationar frame a. relativel wide horizontal veyor having a portion contained within the vertical limits of said cutter bar and passin around said direction changing member and means for driving said wire mesh conveyor from said motor.

5. In a mining and loading machine` a stationary frame, a movable frame slidably supported on saidfstationary frame for reciprocable movement therealong, -a motor supported on said movable frame,A plural speed means driven by said motor for reciprocably moving said movable frame along said stationary frame, a relatively wide horizontal cutter bar extending forwardly from said movable yframe having a cutter chain movable thereabou't, means for driving said cutter chain from said'mo'tor, a transversely extending direction changing member on the forward portion of said cutter. bar Vwithin the vertical limits thereof, a 'plurality of laterally spaced wire mesh conveyors contained within the vertical limits of said cutter bar for a portion of its length and passing around said direction changing member, and means for driving said wirepmesh conveyors from said motor.

6. In a mining and loading machine, a stationary frame, a movable frame slidably supported on said stationary'frame for reciprocable movement therealong, a motor supported on said movable frame, plural speed means driven by said motor for reciprocably moving said movable frame along said stationary frame, a relatively wide horizontal cutter bar extending forwardly from said movable frame having a cutter chain movable thereabout, means for driving said cutter chain from said motor, a transversely extending direction changing member on the forward portion of said cutterV bar within Vthe vertical limits thereof, a wire mesh. conveyor having a portion contained within the vertical limits of said cutter bar and passing around said direction changing member and another portion extending over said motor and beyond the rearwardextremities of said mining and loading machine when said cutter bar is in its forwardmost position with redriving said wire mesh spect to said stationary frame, and means for conveyor from said motor. f

7. In a mining and loading machine, a stationary frame, a movable frame slidably supported on said stationary frame for recipro- Vcable movement therealong, a motor supported on said movable frame, plural speed means driven by said motor for reciprocably moving said movable frame along said stationary frame, a relatively wide horizontal cutterbar extending forwardly from said movable frame having a cutter chain movable thereabout, means for driving said cutter chain from said motor, a transversely extending direction changing member on the forward portion of said cutter bar within the vertical limits thereof, a plurality of laterally spaced wire mesh conveyors contained within the vertical lim-its of said cutter'bar for a portion of its length and passing around said direction changing member, and another portion extending over said motor and beyond the rearward Vextremities of said mining and'loading machine when said cutter bar is in its forwardinostposition with respect to said stationary frame, and means for driving said wire mesh conveyors from said motor. Y l f 8. In a mining and loading machine, a stationary frame, a movable frame slidably supported on'said sta-tionary frame fory reciprocable movement therealong, a motor supported on said movable frame, plural speed means driven by said motor for recip- `rocably moving said movable frame along said stationary frame, a-,relatively wide horizontal chain carrying cutter bar extending forwardly fromg'said movable frame, and av wire mesh conveyor contained -within the vertical limits of said cutter bar and extending over said stationary frame and beyond the rearward end thereof when said cutter bar and movable frame is'in an extended position with respect tofsaid stationary frame.

9. In a mining `and loading machine, a stationary frame7 a movable frame slidably supported on said stationary frame for reciprocable movement therealong, a motor supported on .said movable frame, plural speed means driven by said motor for reciprocably moving said movable frame along said stationary frame, a relatively wide horizontal chain carrying cutter bar extending forwardly from said movable frame, a direction changing device supported within said cutter bar of less diameter than the thickness of said cutter bar, and continuous conveying mechanism mounted on said movable frame and having apoition contained within the vertical limits of said cutter bar Y and extending around said direction changter bar and movable frame is in an extended position with respect to said stationary frame.

l0. In a mining and loading machine, a stationary frame, a movableframe slidably supported on said stationary frame for reciprocable movement therealong7 a motor supported on said movable frame, a relatively wide horizontal chain carrying cutter bar extending forwardly from and movable with said movable frame and plural speed fric-tionally controlled gear reduction means driven by said motor for moving said movable frame and cutter bar along said stationary frame.

ll. In a mining and loading machine, a stationary frame, a movable frame slidably supported on said stationary frame for reciprocable movement therealong7 a motor supported on said movable frame, a relatively wide horizontal chain carrying cutter bar extending forwardly from and movable with said movable frame and plural speed means driven by said motor for moving said movable frame and cutter bar along said stationary frame comprising a planetary gear reduction device. A

l2. In a mining and loading machine, a

stationary frame, a movable frame slidably Y supported on said stationary frame for reciprocable movement therealong7 a motor supported on said movable frame, a relatively wide horizontal chain carrying cutter bar extending forwardly from and movable with said movable frame and plural speed frictionally controlled means driven by said motor for moving said movable frame and cutter bar along said stationary frame comprising a frictionally controlled planetary gear reduction device.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this tenth day of April,

ALFRED B. ESSELTINE. 

